


A Bargain

by Vessel_Fox



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, But your eyes deceive you, Fantasy, I think?, I'm Sorry, If it looks like I know what I'm doing, Nonbinary Protagonist, Open to Ideas, Right now The Shopkeeper is just vibin', This is my first fic I'm posting here so uh, Work In Progress, cool creatures, if you got an idea for the story go ahead and comment it, paragon protagonist, yeah?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 5,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25622323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vessel_Fox/pseuds/Vessel_Fox
Summary: A masked salesperson sells stuff to get enough money to fuel their borderline-addiction of learning more about funky-looking creatures. As a result, other stuff happens.! NOTICE !vvvvvvvvvvvAlthough he doesn't have an account on Archive of Our Own, A Bargain is co-written by @theunluckyturtle , from Tumblr
Kudos: 2





	1. Fragment 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm currently still on benadryl so I don't know what else to say. Have fun I guess. If you see typos tell me so I can have free spellchecking
> 
> Also what the peck is a skin and why is there an undertale /and/ homestuck format
> 
> ... Actually, huh... I didn't expect for you to get this far. Um.
> 
> If you see this, maybe let your friends and foes know about A Bargain's existence, eh?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A masked salesperson sells stuff to get enough money to fuel their borderline-addiction of learning more about funky-looking creatures. As a result, other stuff happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently still on benadryl so I don't know what else to say. Have fun I guess. If you see typos tell me so I can have free spellchecking
> 
> Also what the peck is a skin and why is there an undertale /and/ homestuck format
> 
> ... Actually, huh... I didn't expect for you to get this far. Um.
> 
> If you see this, maybe let your friends and foes know about A Bargain's existence, eh?

“Creatures! I have creatures!”

They shouted and paced in front of the entrance of their shop-tent as people walked by. Various noises could be heard from inside the tent, and it seemed like not many people would dare come close, save for the brave, curious, ignorant, or a combination of the three.

“You!” The shopkeeper pointed at a random observer. “You seem like the curious type! Ever wanted to know how it feels to hold the finest of silks?”

The woman seemed surprised at first, but quickly regained her interest. “Y.. yeah! I do, actually,”

“Great, great! Then wait right here, and I’ll bring something out you might enjoy!” Just after that, The Shopkeeper disappeared into the tent, coming out with a velvety red mass in their hands, and held it up to the woman. It seemed to sniff around in their hands. “Here! Feel the Velvinth, I know you’re eager to!”

As the interaction continued, some more people gathered around the scene. The woman seemed hesitant, yet eventually lifted her hand to what was /probably/ the creature’s forehead.

“So?” urged the shopkeeper, “Like what you feel??”

“Yes, actually… can I hold it? .. Would that be okay?”

“Yes, Yes! Please, I beg of you, hold it, for all to see!” They settled the Velvinth into her hands.

At this point, the crowd began to murmur and “aw” at the creature, and the woman herself giggled as the mass of red, silky ribbons stood carefully on its hind legs and sniffed the air. She was able to more closely see how each strand of heavenly-soft velvet shone in the sun.

“Ah, it seems you like it! Here, here; place it on the ground, and feed it this!” They reached into their cloak and pulled out a bag of herbs for the woman to hold. “It’s what it’s supposed to eat,”

Carefully, she set the creature onto the ground and took hold of the herbs, crouching down to get closer once more to the mass shortly after. The moment it was able to smell the food, it grew excited and put its little front paws onto her leg, reaching for the bag. The crowd began to “aw” again, and murmured louder. The shopkeeper smiled under their mask.

“Aww… do you want this?” The woman reached into the bag and pulled out a red leaf. In response, the creature’s ears rose straight up, and it made an eager squeak. At this point, most of the now ginormous crowd was swooning. Children tugged at their parents’ sleeves and practically begged to have one.

She held the leaf for the creature to nibble away at, and the shopkeeper sat down next to her before saying quietly, “Do you like it? If you do, I can give you it at a discount. The two of you seem to like each other, so I might as well make it easier for the two of you to stay together.” They made sure to say their mention of the discount as quietly as they could.

“Yes.. I do, actually…. But how much would it be?”

“For you, only 5 mid-pieces of gold. As much as I don’t want it falling under the wrong care, I still need to be able to have enough to care for everything else in my possession. So?”

The woman held the creature closer, and pulled five medium-sized pieces of gold out of one of her pockets. “I’ll take it.”

The shopkeeper beamed and grasped the gold from her hand and exclaimed, “Thankyou, thankyou! You won’t regret it, I assure you! Now, as for the food, you’ll be able to grow it yourself with much ease.”

They reached back into their attire and pulled out a drawstring bag. “Here, here are the seeds for its food. It’ll need daily watering and much sun, but I know it won’t be much, for you.”

She accepted the bag, still holding onto the velvinth. “Thankyou so much, Mx.,”

“Not a problem! Not a problem /at all/. Now!” They turned to the crowd. “Would you like to see what else I have? Do you??”

The crowd roared, and shortly after, many, many things roared from within the tent, as well.

“WONDERFUL!”


	2. Fragment 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yada yada, same old same old, if you like this, bother people about it, you don't know the drill

It was night, now, and the tent was much quieter. So many people were so interested, they easily sold way over half of what they had to offer. They didn’t mind at all, though. They needed more room for more creatures anyways. They chuckled and settled their hat on a rail sticking out of one of the wooden poles before watching the night sky through their tent’s front opening.

It’s curious; they always got so much, yet it never felt like they truly ‘had’ anything at all. No matter how many powerful beasts they obtained, it was only a matter of days before their attention got turned to 

something else; something bigger, more mysterious, more powerful! Then they’d have to sell, sell, sell! and start collecting things to observe and learn about anew.

One of the creatures, a long, graceful equine being, whinnied, and they let it nuzzle their hand. “No, Pallas, I’m not giving you anything right now. You’ve had a big dinner. Yes, big; big.”

The being only snorted and turned away, and they grabbed a small book and pencil from one of their hidden pockets, flipping to a page and writing, ‘Very, very insistent on constant snacks’ shortly afterwards. They’ll be sure to recommend it to a successful farm owner or something of the sort as soon as they find one.

They looked over to their group of rhocims. Maybe they should give them another day to rest and enjoy themselves before going anywhere else. Despite their massive size and much more massive power, they can only go for so long with little time for themselves. The shopkeeper sighed, something encouraged by restlessness and mild annoyance, and walked over to their bed. One more day, and then they could keep learning, learning, learning.


	3. Fragment 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: These are copy/pasted from my tumblr fragment collection on @vessel-fox, so if you see any formatting problems, that's ///probably/// why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're wonder what the peck is going on between fragments, don't worry. I just don't like writing transitions

Yes, yes, they have a very good plan, indeed. They’ll need to thank all four of their hounds for their wonderful help.. Possibly with an overflowingly large dinner of fish they’ll no doubt find, one way or another, when they reach the mountain!

The sun shone brightly on the small caravan as it swiftly paraded over the landscape, with someone who smiled as brightly, if not more brightly, than the day itself. 

“Exciting! Very exciting, isn’t it?” The Shopkeeper asked to the rhocim at the very front of their caravan, “New lands, new creatures, new things to learn! And we’re on our way to them right this very moment!” They offered it a carrot as they rode next to it on the back of a giant running bird, and it happily accepted.

The bird chirped at them, wanting something as well now that they’ve given the rhocim a treat, and they happily obliged. “Oh, don’t worry, Faedris, I have something for you, too!” They held some seeds in front of it, and she gobbled them up as she ran. “There you go, my good, good bird!”

Things were really looking good, now! Well– they seemed to always look good, for The Shopkeeper, but at that moment they were fueled by so much joy and excitement! Now that they’ve left that shopping area, they can set their sights on new places! And they already had a vague idea of where to go next.

They held one of their hands over their masked face to shield their eyes from the sun as they studied some mountains in the distance. Trees, much rocks, even snowy caps; this mountain probably even has some streams and lakes surrounding it! They beamed at the idea of a perfectly diverse ecosystem, no doubt, and when they’re done poking around there, they can fly Faedris up to the very top and look for even better places to investigate! Of course, exploring the mountain meant they’d have to leave their caravan behind, but they know their hounds would be more than capable of looking after it again. They’re all quite smart, thank goodness, and what better place to put that smartness than helping them?


	4. Fragment 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention that I take criticism?  
> Because right now I feel sort of nervous as I'm posting all the fragments I've written thus far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These feel super short.  
> ... Too short.....

Thank goodness there was a river on the outskirts of the mountain’s surrounding forest, and it was flowing, too! Their caravan’ll be able to keep hydrated when they’re gone. Still, it was a good idea for them to make sure everyone would be okay while they were gone. The Shopkeeper climbed off their feathery mount, took her saddle off (with many thanks for the bird’s help, of course), and strode towards their group of rhocims, two of their four hounds in tow. 

“Aww, do you wish to stay by my side? Don’t worry; don’t worry at all, I’ll call you if you’re needed while I’m up, up high on the mountain.” They knelt down and stroked the two dogs’ heads, although they had to reach up a bit to reach the bigger of the two. “Just stay here and help Scotch and Matten keep things under wraps for me, alright, Biggie, Smalls?”

Both of the dogs nuzzled into them before running off to scout the nearby area, and the Shopkeeper called off to them, “Many thanks!”

They should really remember to bring a decently big net with them… They reached into one of the rhocims’s bags labelled ‘catch’ and began to pull out and place back an assortment of nets before settling on a hoop with a large netting and stuffing it in their verdant cloak. They’ll also need a couple of bags, too, and some food. That’ll be easy, though.

After searching through a few more pouches and giving their rhocims and other creatures pets and treats of gratitude, they reached into their cloak and felt around to make sure they had everything. Dog whistle, normal whistle, treats, bags and net, flask.. It seemed like they had everything! Oh, wait– they looked around urgently to find their-oh, there it is. Yes, it certainly wouldn’t be grand at all if they didn’t have a book and writing utensil to record their findings with, but it seemed like they, without a doubt, had everything now!

With a final goodbye to their caravan, they walked into the mountain’s trees and began their hike.


	5. Fragment 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But hey, I'm gonna keep posting my progress anyways. Besides, how am I ever going to grow if I don't try and force what I've written onto multiple platforms?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Don't worry it's just two platforms, not twenty. I'm too cowardly for Reddit or Twitter

The mountain base’s forest was still rather dense as they walked, but they didn’t mind. It only allowed for more creatures to remain hidden, as well as avians to perch and sing. They recognized each and every song, even though to many it’d be hard to single out a single chirp, and although some birdsongs belonged to more interesting species than others, they all knew them very, very well, so they kept going.

They nearly passed a stream, but stopped in their tracks right when they remembered. Right, they needed to thank the dogs (and actually, Faedris too, while they were at it. The rhocims seemed to be, for the most part, strictly vegetarian. Actually, Pocket might like some fish too…). They still had a long way to go before they were satisfied enough to come back down, though, so they just walked along it and kept their eye out for fish.

Another perk about walking next to a stream is that you don’t have to weave through the flora as dramatically, and although they found it fun sometimes, they had to admit, sometimes it’s just nice to take things easy. Plus, water’s vital for survival, so something’s bound to be near the stream, and if not for the water, then for the plentiful food! They already spotted three crayfish on their hike, and they lost count of how many fish they saw! Maybe they’ll be able to have some fish, too. -Roasted, of course. It’s a shame they couldn’t save time and eat stuff raw or settle for grass like one of their rhocims or hounds, but that’s just how things were.

As they walked further up the mountain, they began to see some braver, yet still common, wildlife; some rabbits, two turtles, countless frogs, squirrels, and small birds, a few ravens, and one crow, to be precise. While interesting, they already heavily looked into those things way, way before. It was hard to not keep their hopes up, though. If they were starting to see more small creatures out in the open, chances are they’ll find something bigger! It was still a good idea to follow the stream, though. It was getting a pinch harder to do, thanks to the increasing incline, but was still incredibly manageable for them.

It seemed like the forest was beginning to thin out for them. Good, good; a change in scenery means a change in available life, as well. They spotted a herd of micro-deer and a lone flatfox, but none of them seemed interested in The Shopkeeper, and The Shopkeeper knew as much as they could about them, anyways.

As they were walking and feeling some of the trees and absolutely safe (they’ve checked in the past) plants, they heard something rustle in the branches above them. Hm? They stopped and looked up as they leaned on a tree. That sounded too big to be something like a squirrel or a mugin… They reached into their cape and pulled out medium-sized sack of jerky, making sure to make a little show of pulling out one of the pieces.

“I know you’re up, up there in the tree. You’re a curious and hungry, very hungry thing too, aren’t you?”

They stayed still as they spoke, the only thing moving being their cloak as it rippled in the breeze. By now it should’ve recognized the scent, and they could see one of the many branches sway up and down, swishing softly as it did so. They stepped to the side, still keeping the jerky where it was, so that the meat wasn’t between them and whatever was hidden in the trees. Now, it was just a short waiting game.

A pale and flat beaked face flanked by a brown, winged body was all they could make out in the blur as it soundlessly swooped for the meat and plucked it out of their hand until it clung to the tree they were leaning in. At first glance many would’ve taken it for a small, winged otter covered in feathers, but it only had claws on the top on its wings instead of forelegs to pierce into the tree and hold its place as it reached a jerky-filled talon up to its dish-shaped face.

Keeper beamed under their mask the whole time. Of course, they assumed they caught the attention of a predator of sorts, but strigitrices (or just strices, what many people settled for using) were certainly rare. They already knew quite a bit about these kinds of pseudo-owls, though, but it still felt very good knowing they caught another one’s eye.

“I assume you want more?” asked The Shopkeeper as they offered it another piece of jerky from where they stood. It cooed, and they took it as a signal to hold the piece closer for it to more easily take. It stretched its neck out and tore a bit off from the piece they offered, and they sat down as it ate that, as well.

It hooted demandingly and stretched its neck out to them when it was finished, but they continued to sit at the bottom of its tree and replied with, “Ah, you’re going to have to come, come down here with me,” before moving their hand that held the piece of jerky a bit.

It thought for a moment, still clinging to the tree, before carefully dropping to the ground and righting itself to hop next to The Shopkeeper.


	6. Fragment 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Man just you /wait/ until I reach fragment 162 so much stuff is gonna happen-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too bad you're making yourself sit through all of this :v

To The Shopkeeper’s joy, the strice stayed close. They understood it was most likely for more jerky (that was beginning to shrink in supply, but that’s just what happens), but they made sure to pet it as well, since it enjoyed being stroked its neck and back. They climbed up a few more large rocks jutting out of the mountain before taking another short break as the avian sat on a nearby outcropping of stone, eyeing them curiously.

“Hmm….” mused The Shopkeeper, “what should I call you?” They looked at the strice, and it hooted at them with its large eyes. “No, actually.. I should save any ideas for when we get back to the bottom. No use in counting eggs before they hatch! So just stay, stay with me, and we’ll see what you’ll like to go by!”

The creature noticed their enthusiasm and hopped to a closer stone to perch on near them, and they looked out to the lands below. By now, they’ve climbed rather high up, and the peak was only a short… hmmm, possibly thirty minutes away. They wanted to take their time, though, now that they’re so high up.

It felt as if they could see everything… The forests surrounding and residing on the mountain’s base were thick and healthy, their canopies making the ground below them impossible to see. They could see the hills and grasslands, as well, cast in a darker shade of green as the sun was beginning its descent under the land. Pretty soon, they hoped, the whole sky would be painted in a dazzling choice of reds, purples, and bright pinks. A warmth swelled in their chest at the thought of seeing it for the umpteenth time.

Ah, but that would be later. Soon, of course, but indefinitely later. And once that’s over, it’ll begin to be dark. Maybe they should’ve brought a flashlight… and a pair of binoculars would’ve been rather helpful, as well, they supposed. They chuckled and offered the trice some more jerky, to which it happily accepted. It seemed they got so excited they forgot a few things again! Maybe they could change that, though.

As their little acquaintance ate, they pulled a leather-bound book and graphite stick out from their cloak and turned to the very back page before writing ‘ESSENTIAL’ at the very top of the page. Underneath, they wrote, ‘binoculars, light source, whistles, food…’ and continued listing some more potentially useful items for a while.

They felt something lean into their side, and they looked down to see the owl-like creature resting near them.

“Oh, well aren’t you very, very much adorable right now, hmm?” After they spoke, they decided to look up, but was slightly shocked to see that the sky got considerably darker than it had been when they first took their break and it seemed like they missed much of the sunset.

Ah, they got carried away again, didn’t they. Well, that was no matter! They stuffed the book and graphite stick back in their clock and felt around for their whistle, eventually pulling it out and warning the strice, “I’m sorry in advance, but this’ll be loud, very loud. But that’s what’s needed to catch my Faedris’ ear,”

They lightly blew a whistle the few times to make sure the creature got accustomed to that, and once it seemed mostly okay with it, they got up and walked to the opposite edge of the outcropping before giving the whistle a long, loud blow. They looked back at the trice, noting with relief that it seemed to be only mildly perturbed.

“Once again, strigitrice, I’m sorry, very sorry, but it wouldn’t be best if we tried to make it all the way to the bottom, as this dark, dark time.”

They sat next to the trice again, and it settled back down as they gave it another piece of jerky. It won’t be long until Faedris reaches them.


	7. Fragment 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow what the-- This fragment was so short that I actually went back to the writing doc to check and see if I didn't mess up copying-and-pasting what I wrote into the Tumblr post for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm choosing not to be disappointed in myself

The moon shone brightly, illuminating the night for them as they rested on Faedris’ back during their flight, and although they couldn’t hear it, they knew the trice was nearby. Up in the air, everything was silent, save for the wind passing by and the beats of Faedris’ wings. The Shopkeeper stayed silent and looked up on this short flight, a placid smile under their mask. Even if they missed the best of the sunset, it was still a treat to see the rich, deep blue night sky. Possibly thousands of white pinpoints of light were dotted across their view of the darkened heavens, and they just took the moment to breathe.

The Shopkeeper looked down, lightly petting Faedris with their gloved hand, trying to feel the softness of her feathers, and saw their caravan, slightly illuminated by lanterns. Their dogs must’ve dragged them out for them again. wait a second…

The fish! Their eyes widened a bit, and they looked back at the mountain. Silly them, they forgot all about the fish.. They couldn’t help but ask themself how that happened, but they already knew the reason. That’s okay though.. The Shopkeeper sleepily leaned into Faedris as she began to descend. They’ll make sure to get the fish… Tomorrow morning. They closed their eyes, and by the time Faedris landed, they were already asleep.


	8. Fragment 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has just come to my attention that maybe I should start using the chapter summary for actual summaries of my chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Nah, that's /poppycock/

“Hmm…. yes, yes I think that could work!”

One slightly confused awakening and trip to get a big bag of fish later, and The Shopkeeper was sitting next to a flame they prepared, surrounded by their hounds, Faedris, and Pocket, a rodent-like creature that hunched over its fish with it’s large tuft of prickly fur sticking out from its back. The Shopkeeper held a stick with a fish on it over the fire as they watched their creatures enjoy the food.

“Once again, I must apologize for my forgetfulness.. I got distracted, and before I knew it, night had began! But I got the fish, fish for all of you, so that’ll hopefully make up for yesterday’s little blunder.” By the time they finished, they noticed their fish seemed to be cooked enough to be edible for them, and they raised their mask to blow on it before taking a bite.

Meanwhile, the strice had followed them back, curious of the fish, but stayed perched on a branch to watch all the other creatures. Some were rather small, but others.. Well no doubt it’d be easily overpowered, but the one that gave it food seemed calm around them as they ate. It began to shift, wondering if it was a good idea to land on the ground, and they seemed to notice.

It stopped, wondering if it may have disturbed them, but they just reached into the bag next to them, pulled out a fish, and walked over to set it on the ground a short distance away from the rest of the creatures. Then they made some noise and went to sit back down near the fire and eat. … Maybe they really did want it to come down.

The strice jumped off from its branch and landed carefully before its offering. This was alright, right? It looked up at all the other creatures, many looking much bigger now that it wasn’t looking down on them. None of them seemed to have a problem with it, so.. it tore away at the fish with its beak, making sure to make a little show of its snack to show all the other creatures to no test it, and also maybe please don’t step on it, too.

The Shopkeeper looked over at it after they finished their fish and smiled. Good, it seemed to be getting more comfortable. Actually, now that it seemed it may stay with them, they supposed they could finally give it a name. They reached into their bag again and gave some more fish to any of the creatures that still seemed hungry (particularly Smalls, who had just finished his seventh fish and began to eye Faedris’ meal with a worrying amount of envy), and then put a fish between their fire and the strice, who almost finished its fish, as well. 

“Now, for a name.. yes, by now, I believe it’s time you have a real name, but what to call you?” The owl-like creature noticed the new fish and took some thoughtful steps towards it.

“How about.. Ffffendin? No, that wouldn’t work… But I suppose Harold miiii– no, no, not that, either..” As The Shopkeeper thought to themself, it had started to eat the other fish and was beginning to feel rather content.

“Maybe… Ollie could work?” They looked over to the strice, and it looked up at them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey did you know that a carton of eggs has at least 2 eggs?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man I think that's wild.

The Shopkeeper discarded a charred stick into a lake, and then went to pour a bucket of water over their fire, petting their hounds as they all trotted near their side. Now that eating the meal (and, in the process, thanking their dogs) was finished, they could get on to more productive things! Afterall, they had nowhere to go, and they didn’t want that to last for long.

They walked over to a large saddle and picked it up before calling out to their bird, “Faedris, could you please help, help me again?”

Right on cue, Faeris’ head popped from what she was doing, and she quickly approached him, leaving behind an overturned rock. They could offer her much better things to eat, anyways. Faedris knew this part rather well, after she’s been helping The Shopkeeper with their routine for years. Whenever they’ve been somewhere for a short while, she helps them scout out a new place to go, and everyone’s off in about a few hours.

The bird patiently let them put on the saddle, confident that they’d make sure it rested comfortably. She had to admit, it was a bit disappointing they couldn’t just fly places with her, but she understood the reason why. After all, they had a flock to look after. It wasn’t her fault almost everything with them was ground-bound, and she had to admit that she did enjoy everyone’s company (some more than others, of course, but she supposed having /some/ members, (coughcoughMATTENcoughcough) was necessary, if The Shopkeeper kept them around).

With a short question of permission, Faedris lowered to allow them to get on the saddle, and they both took off for the top of the mountain. Finally, they’ll be able to go somewhere else again! Getting around the mountain may take some time, but The Shopkeeper knew it was necessary, since they didn’t want to put the rhocims through something like climbing a mountain. In what felt like a minute, they both reached the top, and Faedris stopped for them to look around.

“Ah, thankyou, many thanks, Faedris! I really should make sure to not take your understanding for granted.”

After petting the bird’s neck for a moment, they looked down at the land and quickly noticed a large cluster of buildings. Sure, they can sell again; making as much room as they could for more creatures to keep and learn about always makes things easier for when they want to go to different climates!

They looked around at the rest of the land, the only other thing catching their eyes being a large forest (but now they were excited at the idea of exploring a different biome), and was satisfied. They took a book and stick of graphite out of their cloak, wrote a note in it, and put everything back.

“Alright, Faedris,” they notified the bird, “I’m ready to go back, back so we can prepare and leave!”


	10. Fragment 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ... Peck, I should fix something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I messed up a formatting thingamajig for fragment 9 on my tumblr account, but I'm too busy finding a reason not to fix it to go and fix it.

The sky was starting to get a bit cloudy, to The Shopkeeper’s delight. A warm day was nice, but it can be much easier to set up tents when the heat isn’t as strong. They were already halfway done with setting everything up on the outskirts of.. What was the name of this town again…?

They paused for a moment and thought while their dogs and Faedris continued to help set things up. It wasn’t Selince or Crestonville; they’ve already left those places… -No, it was Novrend! They snapped a gloved hand and planted a giant tent pole into the ground. Already, Novrend seemed very pleasant… The people there were curious, many of whom pausing what they were doing to watch them set up shop.

It gave them a nice sense of ‘existing’, for lack of a better word at the moment. Sure, most of the people were trying to hide the fact that they were watching, but The Shopkeeper could still tell. By the time they were almost fully done with the setup and their creatures decided to rest in one of the smaller tents on either side of the main one, a couple of people were already entering the main tent.

The shorter man of the two wearing a leather tunic tentatively spoke up, asking, “Hey there, Mr.?”

“I think you mean ‘Mx.’, customer. Don’t worry, that gets confused all the time,” corrected The Shopkeeper as they put a small sign on one of the many simple, worn down tables.

“Oh, um, alright, Mx.,” Replied the man, a bit confused, but willing to go with the odd person’s correction.

The other guy, with a distinct lack of a beard, asked, “So, did you come here to sell stuff…?” while looking at a particularly demanding equine creature.

“Oh, of course I’ve come to sell stuff!” The Shopkeeper offered the equine a biscuit, which it snapped up, startling the taller man in the process, and continued on by saying, “After all, /surely/ there’ll be someone here who’s interested, very interested in an animal of sorts.”

The taller man exchanged a glance with the shorter one before piping up. “Well, if you’re so sure about that… If you don’t mind, we’re going to, um, get back to going on with our day.”

“Yeah,” added on the other guy, “We need to get home and stuff, so, bye?”

“Farewell, then,” finished Shopkeeper, working on grooming something that looked like an opossum that seemingly came out of nowhere to the two men. Their back was turned, and they missed the skeptical look the two shared before leaving


	11. Fragment 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They gay.

There was a crowd around The Shopkeeper main tent entrance only about an hour after the two men left, all muttering and exclaiming with curiosity and wonder as an equine creature pranced around one of the village’s notoriously more successful farmers. It seemed to be so well groomed that it glowed a tiny bit in the dim, cloudy afternoon.

All the while, unnoticed by The Shopkeeper, the two men that left were back, at the very back of the crowd, and in disbelief.

“Well, um. That happened, didn’t it Harold,” remarked the taller man, still staring at the equine being. He’s never even seen a beast like that before, where the heck did this guy even get one from?

“Yeah, Fred, I guess it did…” Harold shuffled a bit, but then got a gleam in his eye as he remembered something important. “-You owe me seven micro-pieces of gold, by the way.”

Fred feigned surprise. “What? Hah– No I don’t, the bet was if they’re actually gonna sell something, not showcase a weird pony,”

“Yeah, but they already look like they got that in the bag, too. Look!” Harold pointed towards the shopkeeper, who seemed to be very eagerly agreeing to something with the… oddly equally eager farmer. Weird, Sam’s almost never that excited about livestock.

“Okay, okay, I-I see!” blurted out the taller man “Then why don’t we raise the stakes, eh…?”

“Freeeed… I know where this is going, Fred, and you know what’s gonna happen.”

“Oh, nonsense, it makes it more fun!”

“Fred.”

“And, I’ll raise the money to fifteen gold micro-pieces!”

That made Harold stop. “… Fifteen, you say?”

Harold knew Fred always lost bets… It’s just something that he could never shake, for some reason. Maybe it was a curse of sorts that Fred never bothered to tell him. No matter what the poor lad bets on, he almost always loses, and ‘raising the stakes,’ as he calls it, usually means that Harold’s guaranteed more money.

“Alrighty,” admitted the shorter man, “I’m in. What are you gonna bet on now?”

Fred smiled, excited at the idea of winning. This time he /knows/ he’s gonna win! And when he does, he’s going to shove it in that old man that said he’d never win again’s face! … In spirit, of course. He never did see that old man again…

“The new matter of betting,” Explained Fred, “Is if that Shopkeeper character can sell something to Anna.”

“… Anna???” Suddenly Harold wasn’t so sure about being guaranteed money. Still, he already told Fred he was in, and he didn’t have the heart to disappoint the guy himself by backing out.

“Yeah, Anna! They may have been able to sell to that stingy old farmer Sam, but someone like her? Hah! I wouldn’t even bother bothering her with anything or I’d get decked!

“Yeah, and I bet no one else would want to bother her with anything either… You saw what she could do to a metal tire, Fred,”

“Yup! Rip it right in two.” Fred spoke that small anecdote with a bit of soberness, but brought his enthusiasm back up again. “So! I’m gonna bet that they won’t sell her anything. Still in? Or are you Harold the Chicken?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m in..” Although Harold looked annoyed, he was actually a little bit hopeful that Fred would win this bet…

“Aha! I knew you wouldn’t bail on me! Now we’ll just wait for her… After all, with a crowd around a trio of weird red tents out in the open, Everyone from the village is bound to end up here eventually!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like Fred and Harold... 'Might make them show up later on. Or not. Let's see what happens.
> 
> Oh! Also, this is all I've posted thus far. 
> 
> So now you're gonna have to wait until Friday, whenever that is!
> 
> Let's see how long ya can last


	12. Fragment 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you're reading this in the future and don't have to wait until next Friday

The day was going smoothly with The Shopkeeper’s arrival, and everyone was rather relaxed and interested in the creatures that they were showcasing. A few of the early people that came left, either already satisfied with what they saw or needing to do something else, but many more people stuck around, transfixed with what The Shopkeeper had to show.

A lot of new people appeared as the afternoon carried on, having caught wind of the spectacle, as well. Since bit of the crowd left, it was rather hard to not get any hearsay of the mysterious, masked figure that set up shop on the outskirts of town, offering outlandish creatures at, what many people would exclaim at, outlandishly low prices.

At about the stroke of Three in the afternoon, somebody in a bar caught wind of the newcomer.

A thoughtful pause and a few moments later, she sheathed the blade she was sharpening.

After some seconds, she was out of the door. Everyone inside made sure to not get in her way.

She walked through the streets, and past shops and people, many of which she passed becoming filled with concern and a morbid curiosity

In the distance, she saw the crowd, surrounding what she presumed was the newcomer. She had to hand it to them; Those blood red tents were really good at catching attention.

She approached the crowd, and a few of the people that looked back to see who it was paled. They whispered to the people nearby, and a part of the crowd grew sober and parted for her


End file.
